Intended Series Collection: Books 1-6

by Abigail Grant

  I roll my eyes and look back at Morgan. “What’s your real name, Aunt Morgan? Are you actually Morgan, or Lydia, like Neo said?”

  Luna turns to me. “Her name is Lydia.” She looks into her mom’s eyes and she grimaces at Luna. She gasps at her mom. “Are you serious , mom? Your name is Morgan?”

  Luna steps away from Morgan and crosses her arms in defiance. “Explain, now,” she says too calmly.

  I go to Luna’s side and nod, hoping to get answers as well.

  Morgan nods. “Everyone, please come into the sitting room and I’ll tell you all what’s going on.”

  Luna and I follow Morgan through the large archway and into a cozy room with big bean bag chairs placed in a circle. Below the seats is a beautiful hand woven rug with tassels at either end. You’d think the place belonged to a hippie, but it’s only the one room. As strange as the decor is in the large modern home, it’s incredibly comforting.

  I sink down into a bean bag chair and cross my legs in front of me. Neo sits beside me and Luna takes the other side. I feel protected by my friends, but I feel like Luna might be the one who needs it the most. Her own mom has been lying to her for her entire life.

  Morgan sits across from me and clears her throat. “So, I uh… don’t exactly know where to begin, but I’ll try.” She runs her long fingernails through her thick blonde hair and closes her blue eyes for a moment. “Okay, Aella.” She watches me. “A long time ago, in about 1997 or so, your mom came to Granbury, Texas where my family lived.” She pauses.

  I hold my breath, not expecting her words but afraid to breathe and make her change her mind.

  “At that time, your father also lived here. He was raised in this very town. Your mom was on the run from a life she didn’t want. She was so much like you are now, it’s incredible.” Her eyes glisten, and I join her. “When your mom met Joseph, she knew they were Intended. She fought it at first, but she really loved him. She was only here for a short while when she ran into my little sister, Maggie.”

  I gasp. I knew they were sisters, obviously, but having her place the pieces together like that has my heart pounding. “What happened then?” I say, desperate for more information.

  She continues as everyone listens intently. “Well, they became fast friends and your mom actually moved into our house.” She laughs softly. “Pretty quickly, though, your mom started getting dreams of a demon who was after her.”

  “Barron,” I whisper.

  Morgan covers her mouth and nods. “Yes, Barron. Maggie and I hoped you’d never know that demon. Your mom asked for our help to make a spell that would stop Barron from entering her dreams, and it worked. She felt like things would get better after that, until a demon attacked her in our house.” She sighs. “We fought back and thankfully won. The fight actually made your mom and dad decide to stop wasting time and they chose to get bonded.”

  I stir in my seat. I know how their story ends. Barron eventually wins the war and kills them both. Hearing about them being happy and getting married so young makes the story even more tragic.

  “What happened after they got bonded?” Neo asks next to me, sucked into the tragedy.

  Morgan frowns. “They left. They decided together to leave their loved ones behind in order to protect them all and they went on the run. My family sent them away with magical protection and Maggie continually checked on them in her mind. She was connected to your mom spiritually and never lost sight of where she and Joseph were.” She smiles softly at me. “My sister loved your parents so much, as did I. When we found out they were going to have a baby, we were so ecstatic.”

  My eyes water and I sniffle back a sob. “Why didn’t your magic work? They were eventually found and killed by Barron. Why?” I’m shaking and need to know everything there is to know.

  Morgan crawls off of her seat and kneels in front of me. “Magic doesn’t last forever, hon. We tried, but with them constantly running, eventually they wanted to try and enjoy being parents to their beautiful baby girl.” She grabs my hands in hers. “They knew their time was coming to an end and that’s why they moved you guys next door to Maggie. They knew she could protect you when they couldn’t.”

  I fall into Morgan’s arms and cry like a big baby. She holds my shaking body and rubs circles on my back with her manicured fingernails. Being held by someone who I’ve always considered a mother-figure is all I need, and a feeling I miss desperately.

  Luna joins our crying huddle and places her small arm around me. “I’m so sorry, El. I can’t believe this is your story.”

  Neo is silent as we cry and I turn to look at him. His eyes look heavy and he tries to smile at me, but it’s weak. I turn back to Luna. “So, why didn’t I ever hear about Luna? I would have loved having a cousin.”

  Morgan touches her daughter’s cheek. “Oh, I wanted so badly to give my baby girl more family to love, but I was sworn to secrecy.” Morgan sits back, so she can see us both. “El, after you were born, I found out I was pregnant with Luna, and Maggie begged me to make a good life for my baby and not be myself anymore. She feared that Barron would come after us to get to your parents.” She looks at the floor. “I became Lydia then, and my parents moved with your dad’s family to Greece. Everyone was just gone, but I was happy to have my daughter.”

  I lean back, deflated and ready to collapse from the amount of knowledge filling my veins. I spent my whole life thinking I was alone, and couldn’t talk about who I was. All this time, I had more family than I could’ve dreamt of, and I wasn’t alone at all. I look around the cozy sitting room at the eyes watching me and I smile, because I’m still not alone.

  Chapter 9

  Today is Halloween, and I would normally be excited for it. I always love getting dressed up with Kassy and planning out our night. It used to be that we would go to some party that a friend from school was throwing, or Kassy’s parent’s would do a big shindig. Her mom and dad were the best and they knew how to make the spookiest houses.

  Technically, I’m sitting in a spooky house on halloween, even though I’m not convinced that it’s haunted. It’s comfortable and with some work could be beautiful. My knee won’t stop bouncing up and down as I stare unblinking at the front door of mine and Neo’s temporary home.

  I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous in my life, but I also never knew my adoptive mother was a Wicca before, so things have changed. I mull over the story aunt Morgan told me only two nights ago. It’s incredible that my mom and adoptive mom were once BFFs. I wish I would’ve known earlier on, then I could’ve grown up with more stories of my parents, besides the usual, “I don’t know” that I got from Aunt Mags.

  Sitting here on the raggedy sofa, I can hardly picture my birth mother’s face anymore. Anytime I think of the sound of my parent’s voices, they’re all distorted and off-sounding. I can’t say I’m too upset about it, though. I did have a mom growing up who treated me like her very own, and now I know that she was more to me than a random neighbor. She was my protector.

  A soft knock sounds at the door that my eyes are glued to. I flinch, but I don’t immediately get up to answer the door. Neo clears his throat behind me, completely forgotten.

  “You know, she is a Wicca, so she could easily bust through that door. Do you want more mess to clean up than we’ve already dealt with?” His tone is calm, and I can’t relate.

  I give a barely noticeable nod and stand on my feet. “Who is it?” I shout through the door, but I already know the answer.

  I can hear my mom groan on the other side and I can already see her angry face in my mind. “Aella Mae Lundon! Let me in right now!”

  I turn the brass handle and pull the door opened with a loud creak. Aunt Mags practically jumps at me with her long sleeved arms open wide. She squeezes me so tight that I can’t physically lift my arms to return her embrace. Her wild wavy hair smothers me with the overpowering scent of lavender and I instantly release the tension that I’ve been feeling for three whole weeks.

&nbs
p; “Hi, mom,” I sigh against her and a tear slides down my warm cheek.

  She releases me and pushes me at arm's length. Her green eyes roam over my face and my hair as she sniffles but no tears of her own come. I’ve never known Aunt Mags to cry really, unless she watched sad commercials about abandoned animals. That’d always do the trick for my sweet mom.

  She nods approvingly after her perusal. “You look clean, sweetheart. That’s good.”

  I roll my eyes. “Really? That’s all you have to say after I’ve been away from you for three months!” I shout, let down by her snipped words.

  She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. “I’m trying not to smother you, hon. You’ve learned a lot of new things lately, and I… I just.” She doesn’t finish her thought.

  I tilt my head at her and raise my eyebrows. “What? You just what?” I urge her.

  She scoffs and blurts out, “I just don’t want you to run away from me!”

  I’m taken aback by her words. How could she ever think that I’d run from her ? She raised me. I guess leaving everything and everyone behind without a word didn’t go so well… Yeah, yeah. I’m a monster!

  I pull Aunt Mags back to me and hug her as tight as I can, Seer strength omitted. “I love you, Aunt Mags. I wouldn’t want any other mother in the world and I promise, I will never ever run from you.”

  We hold one another for a few minutes, not wanting to lose the other again. Our sweet moment is interrupted by a cough from behind me.

  I turn around and Neo is standing on the opposite end of the living room near the entrance to the kitchen. He is smiling awkwardly at us and makes a short weak wave when we spy him. I laugh. “Neo, come here and meet my adoptive mom, Maggie.”

  I wave him over and he speed walks to us. Everything about him in the moment is awkward, like he is my first ever boyfriend meeting my parents. If he were Gavin though, I know he would be so smooth.

  Aunt Mags places her hand out to Neo. “Hi, Neo. It’s great to meet you. Of course, I’ve heard nothing about you except for what my sister Morgan has told me.” She raises a single eyebrow at Neo and he freezes.

  “I… uh. I mean, what has she told you exactly?” He stutters the words out, worried about his reputation.

  Aunt Mags laughs and waves a hand at him. “Only good things, I promise!”

  He sighs and we all chuckle together, clearing the awkwardness from the room. Aunt Mags takes a single step back into the still opened doorway and scans the house. She smiles and closes her eyes briefly.

  I touch her shoulder, removing her from whatever dream she has fallen into. “What’s up, Aunt Mags? I know the house isn’t much to look at but it has been so great.”

  She shakes her head at me and her smile falls slightly, saddening. “No, baby girl. It’s not that. It’s remarkable that you ended up in this particular home.” She touches my cheek. “I didn’t think it’d still look the same after all these years.”

  My eyes go wide. “You lived here? That’s so cool!”

  She chuckles softly. “Actually, I only saw the place once. This house was a wedding gift from your father to your mother.” She points past my stunned face to the center of the room. “That spot right there is the exact place he knelt and proposed to my sweet friend.”

  I spin around and stare at the hardwood flooring in between the tattered old couch and wooden coffee table. My parents were right there, at my age, falling in love. The room takes on a new life as I imagine them here and more stupid tears sting my eyes. I’m seriously losing it.

  “Wow,” Neo says next to me. “I mean, I’ve hearda fate a lot growin ’ up around other Seers, but that’s just insane.”

  Aunt Mags lifts a single shoulder and winks at Neo. “Fate is the very reason your race exists. It brings each of you together and makes you stronger than ever.”

  I take a deep settling breath and look into Aunt Mag’s emerald eyes. Her normally black and gray speckled hair has been dyed darker than it was the last time I saw her, but small bits of gray are already growing in at the roots. “So, you’re a Wicca?” I ask her simply.

  She nods tenderly, unsure. “I am.”

  “And you have been protecting me since I was born?” I ask.

  “Yes, I have,” she states with an apologetic half smile. “And I can’t tell you everything you need to know, darling.” She reaches into the black bag hanging from her shoulder and pulls out a pink journal with the name Selene sprawled across the front. “But, I can show you the answers in here.”

  I take the journal from her and flip to a random page with the jumble of words written in sloppy handwriting.

  April 28th, 1998

  Dear Loved One,

  I’m terrified, and this time it’s not the falling in love kind. This is the chilling, completely body numbing kind of fear. I need to get to work but my body won’t move, and I can’t face Joseph just yet. The thing I have been fearing since my childhood has finally come to pass. The demon who killed my father finally found me.

  I gasp and snap my head up to Aunt Mags who watches me with drooping eyebrows and thin lips. “My mom. This is hers?”

  She nods at me. “Yes. Your mom kept a regular journal at the time she came to Granbury, and she wanted me to give it to you when you started seeing the demon in your dreams like she had. Of course, I didn’t know you’d been seeing him, or I would’ve come to you sooner.”

  She flips to the last page of the diary, where it says “Dear My Sweet Aella” and taps her red painted fingernail on the paper.

  “Sweetie, this is why your mom wanted you to have this. Right here she tells you to not run from your loved ones, but to fight back with all that you have, together with the people you cherish.” She places her warm hand on my cheek again and looks directly into my eyes. “Now I’m here, and we are going to damn well fight.”

  Chapter 10

  “Trick-or-treat!” The cute kids at Morgan’s door grin and hold out their orange pumpkin shaped buckets for candy. I toss in a handful for each of them and they run off, tails, hats, face paint and all.

  I miss being that little and carefree. I definitely never expected to be standing in my Wicca aunt’s house with my Wicca mom, Seer friend and young Wicca cousin, while being taunted by a demon. Oh, boy. Life has changed.

  My heart aches more than usual tonight, even though I made sure to take my daily dose of coleus the minute I woke up this morning. I feel like if I keep this up too much longer then I’ll be permanently separated from Gavin. I can’t let that happen.

  I rub the spot above the dull ache in my chest. Aunt Mags comes to my side and wraps a long arm around my shoulders and I lean into it.

  “Hon, why do you look so sad? We’re having a party… sort of.” She chuckles at the last minute party she and Morgan threw together.

  I lay my head on her shoulder and watch out the window for more trick-or-treaters. “It’s a beautiful party, Aunt Mags. I’m so glad to be here with you all.”

  She tightens her hold on me. “But, you wish other people were here too?” she asks, reading my mind.

  I groan. “You know me too well.” I tilt my head back and move away from her slightly. “I just can’t imagine that everyone will forgive me for leaving like I did.”

  She tilts her head to the side and throws an eyebrow up. “Dear, those kids absolutely love you. You’re not losing them anytime soon.”

  “Well, I guess I’ll have to give them a call if I’m going to try and build my little army. I just hope they’re willing to join me.”

  I imagine asking Gavin and his family to help me fight Barron, but the thought of asking for help after ditching them and actually stealing from Grams makes my heart only hurt worse.

  I turn away from the door and walk up to Neo, who stands in the kitchen with Luna. They’re leaning against the kitchen island and get quiet as soon as I walk into the room.

  “What? Are you guys gossiping?” I ask them both with a side-eye.

  Neo straightens
up and gives me a crooked smile and a wink. “Yup. We’re basically a couple gossip girls over here.”

  I shake my head at him. “Well, I have a question for you both.”

  Luna hops up and down, always so chipper. “Anything, cousin!” Her smirk is intoxicating and I can’t help but smile along.

  I blow out all of the nervous air in my lungs. “So, according to my birth-mom’s wishes, I should fight the demon that has been hunting my family. In order to do that and succeed, it turns out I need myself a little army. So, my question is…”

  “We’re in!” Luna shouts excitedly.

  Neo nods and shrugs. “What she said.” He points to Luna.

  I stand in awe, mouth hanging open. I feel like I couldn’t have heard them right but both of them watch me, sure of themselves. I shuffle my feet, and my fingers twirl together. I’m not sure where to go from this moment . “Guys… Thanks so…”

  My words are cut off when an ear-piercing shattering sound causes everyone to jump. I spin toward the noise and a hulking shape crawls through Morgan’s kitchen window above the sink. The man pulls himself over the countertop and lands on his feet in front of me. I’m frozen, confused by what is happening.

  The intruder stands tall and his black eyes land on me with a disturbing smirk across his face. A demon.

  I clench my fist together, ready to show another demon what I have inside of me, but I spin in my spot when another demon walks easily into the kitchen from the back of the house.

  Neo shouts from behind me. “Leave now, or you will both regret it!”

  The demons both laugh a menacing harmony that sends chills to the deepest part of me. The first demon, also the largest one, lifts his chin, seemingly unafraid. “Nah, we’re plenty happy right here with all of you.”